Pigeon Wearing a Bagel Vies for Title of Most New York Thing Ever

The race is on to determine New York's most iconic animal/food mascot. Pizza Rat took the Internet by storm and even spawned a video game. Milkshake Squirrel made a valiant attempt but suffered owing to the fact that he wasn't drinking something more uniquely New York, like an egg cream. But finally, another contender has arrived to flap and poop its way into our hearts. Behold: Bagel Pigeon.

Reddit user connierubirosa posted the image, citing it as "the most New York photo" she's ever taken. As Gothamist points out, this isn't the first time a pigeon has donned a bagel, with one trendsetting bird being spotted a few years back in Williamsburg (of course) and calling it a "bagel scarf." I hope some entrepreneurial crafter has bagel scarves up on Etsy. The holidays are coming.

So which filthy, food-stealing nuisance reigns supreme in the Big Apple? Certainly thinking of New York wildlife only conjures up pigeons and rats, and any New Yorker you run into will have strongly held beliefs about what makes a good pizza and bagel. If sports is any indicator, much like the Yankees and Mets or the Giants and Jets, Pizza Rat and Bagel Pigeon will likely have separate camps of diehard fans in all five boroughs. That is, until Hot Dog Roach gets caught on camera. Personally, I'm rooting for whichever one stays away from my food altogether.